Walking the Path Alone
by notnecessarilyinbetween
Summary: Merlin is alone  after everything is done on the battlefield, and tries to move forward from where he is.
1. Chapter 1

Warning:Slight gore  
>Disclaimer: Merlin belongs to the BBC<p>

The stench of blood wafted up to his nostrils, he couldn't seem to move a single step without the pain jarring through his entire body. He was a warlock, the most powerful sorcerer ever! How could he miss something so stupid like the man sneaking up behind him-no, he knew how- that stupid prat,disappearing like that, always seemed to try to find some way to make things worse for him. And now he was alone, stranded in the middle of a field of the dead and dying, stumbling through the corpses, some fresh, and some from many battles ago. It was just supposed to be a small trip, not some elongated war against a new enemy, then again, nothing else Merlin had done seemed to work out. He stumbled over a fallen flag, and pain flared up from his bleeding chest and made him collapse to the ground. He forces himself up slowly, holding his chest and just trying to breathe. He doesn't even know if anyone survived- no, they had to, Arthur had to. He raised himself up and trudged forward, the black tunnel vision hiding away the things he had never wanted to see. He was alone, but he can't-won't- die like this. Just one more step. Then another, he curses as he falls to his knees. He can't. It is over, he won't make- "IDIOT, what do you think you were doing going off like that... bloody- Merlin!" He can do it.


	2. Chapter 2

I wasn't going to continue, as this was my first fanfic I was just going to leave it as a drabble, but I guess I wanted to work different people's points of views, so it may continue past this. :)  
>Thank you for the reviews!<p>

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><p>It was done, the all encompassing ghastly bloody awful war was done. But he couldn't celebrate with his knights, the ones that survived, or even mourn with the families for the ones that didn't. He was not going to attend the meetings between the two kingdoms, not yet anyway. At first, when he first met the idiot, he didn't think that he could ever have stepped away from his power and place, but then there he was, briskly walking through the quickly darkening field. He didn't know how it happened, but every time there was any kind of battle, he and Merlin got separated. It could either be that the idiot tripped over his own feet, or his manservant somehow was already there when it started. People shouted out to him as he passed, and he gave them a quick smile before carrying on his way. What kind of manservant was he... making his master trudge through the lost wastelands? Allowing his annoyance to fill his thoughts was easier then thinking about other things like: how this had not just been a small skirmish, how while Merlin always seemed to get out of those unscathed..., how when he turned around to look for his friend, he was nervous... shocked...Damn it. He was scared to find he could not see his errant annoyance anywhere. How he had spent the last few hours searching for the idiot, and knew that if he could not find him before it grew dark, he might never. Increasing his pace, he stomped straight through the battlefield, trying to use all of his senses to make up for the loss of the light. He hears a soft curse in a voice filled with pain and annoyance. He turns towards the voice, the voice he knows but wishes he doesn't, and starts to run towards the labored breath. He nearly trips over small body that is bent over parallel to the ground ""IDIOT, what do you think you were doing going off like that... bloody- Merlin!" As he pulled the nitwit into some kind of sitting position he noticed the darkened stain that was slowly taking over the entirety of Merlin's shirt front. The boys eyes opened, and though they were dulled with pain, the recognition was enough to force a small smirk onto the boys face. The boy then closed his eyes and tried to regulate his breath, Arthur took just one long moment to pick up the body of his closest friend, and careful carrying back to safety, to haven, to his home, Camelot.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Hello! Thank you so much for the reviews! I know where this is going until the end so please enjoy!  
>Disclaimer: Merlin belongs to the BBC<p>

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><p>Arthur was not used to waiting... well except for his manservant, and since that was technically what he was doing now... but he shouldn't have to wait for his own manservant! Before Merlin came along everything seemed to run smoother, on time, and it all was a lot more boring. Boring... like waiting... not knowing when Gauis would come out of his small room, and tell Arthur his verdict. As soon as Arthur had come back to the main camp, he had brought Merlin's very still body over to the physician. Merlin had been moved back into his chambers, and know Gauis needed everyone out as he treated his ward. Arthur was a man of action, he quickly grew bored of sitting against the wall, but he couldn't move himself. He should be checking on his knights and talking with the villagers, or even joining in the celebrations. He heard quick footsteps head over to his niche, and looked up to see Sir Leon, and Sir Lancelot. Quickly standing up, he answered before they could even ask " I don't know, I don't know if, WHEN, he will get better, but I am not leaving this spot until I can find something out." He glowered at them for a while ( and my was his princely glower fantastic) before a faint smile crossed Lancelot's lips and he seated himself with a contented sigh against the wall on the other side of the corridor. Arthur scraped his mail against the wall as he too sat on the floor. Sir Leon looked a bit speculative for a few seconds at the thought of the crown prince on the floor, before he perched himself on a window ledge. Everything was quiet, but Arthur could see Lancelot's questions in his eyes, and knew it would only be- "Arthur?"<br>Damn.  
>"Yes, Lancelot?"<br>"What exactly just happened?"  
>Arthur rubbed his brow and scowled, "Truthfully, I have no idea."<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

Hello again, this story will soon draw to a close, and I know this chapter doesn't have dialogue, but I think this is needed. Please enjoy!

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><p>It had not been a war over the throne of Camelot, it had not been done by sorcerers that hated Uther and wanted him to pay. It was not magical beasts that were sent out to destroy them. It was just desperation, and that might have made it scarier, for that could not be readily cured. The seasons had begun to change, the summers growing colder and shorter and so the harvest had not been as plentiful. However, for some reason, Camelot had not been affected. The harvest had stayed the same, and even flourished in the fields as no other year, but outside of Camelot there had barely enough to last the fall, and with winter approaching the citizens were getting desperate. It soon became apparent that the only place that had food was Camelot, and many people came to beg for food. At first, Uther had declined, seeing as the city must keep its stores, but soon realized that the population of those that needed the food increased so steadily, he would have to be careful about how he handled the situation. He began to give handouts to families, but there were to many. Camelot was not able to give food to every single person that needed it. Those people drew together, necessity as their force, and soon the war began. Merlin had been happy for once in his life to go on a hunt with the Prat, because if they hadn't seen the scouting party approaching Camelot, they never would have been able to prepare the defenses in time. It is different, fighting a war for defense against necessity. It isn't about revenge, it isn't just something that can be changed, those people were fighting for their lives, and so they fought with their lives on the edge. They would die, either in battle, or because of starvation, so it was easier for them to be foolhardy and take out as many opponents as they could "for their families" "For my country."<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

Next chapter is out~ I expect this story to end in one or two more, and then I have many ideas for some new stories, so please enjoy~

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><p>Merlin, had been awake for a little under an hour, but it would be impossible to have him leave the room, as everything in there was covered in a subtle golden glow. Merlin had been working on trying to control it, but couldn't concentrate. It is generally hard to concentrate when one is somehow healing oneself, causing everything they see to glow, and to draw in all the power that had been used without his knowledge. " I still can not believe that you were using so much power!" Gauis had gotten over the fact that his hair seemed to be as blond as Arthur's, and had sat to watch as Merlin's chest knit itself together.<p>

"It isn't my fault!" ( It wasn't, this one he could blame on the dragon.) "How was I to know that I was... connected with nature!" Every time Merlin spoke, he lost his control over the small bits of magic he had been able to hold back.

"My dear boy, nothing that you do surprises me now, you really should try to think like that as well."

"Well, I couldn't tell Gauis! It wasn't until Kilgarrah pointed it out that I even realized I was using my magic!" Gauis shook his head, his expression half of wonder and half of disbelief.

"It is no wonder you were so much more irritable as of late, as you were sustaining all the crops of Camelot!" Merlin just grumbled and began to try to recollect his magic that was somehow ignoring everything he said and merrily living in every plant that it could reach.

"What would Uther say if he found out that this was all caused by magic."

"Hopefully you will never have to know," Gauis was always able to look on the bright side of things, "Now Merlin I really must insist that you stop... whatever your doing so that I can tell everyone that you are alive." Merlin looked suitably ashamed and his eyes stopped glowing pure gold. The room seemed to get colder and less vibrant as the items lost their mystic presence. Merlin took one last deep breathe, looked down at his chest which was perfect except for a small scar, and began to realize-

"Gauis... how am I going to hide this from Arthur?"


	6. Chapter 6

Hello again, thank you for your input, I hope this layout works better! And thank you so much for the reviews! I believe this will have one more chapter, so please enjoy!  
>Disclaimer: Merlin belongs to the BBC<p>

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><p>If princes got surprised, which they didn't, startled, maybe, Arthur would have been surprised at the crowd that had slowly grown outside of the physicians chamber. What had first been just Arthur had grown until he had most of the knights, almost every single maid in the castle, the cooks, the stable boys, some of the pages, and even a couple merchants from the small village outside of Camelot's was beginning to wonder how the castle was able to work when Merlin was out of commission, for it seemed as if everyone knew his manservant. This conglomeration of people was also causing a racket,mainly focused around one knight in particular, Gwaine.<p>

He seemed to know most of the maids in the vicinity, and if he hadn't known them, he began to introduce himself. It had been amusing to watch at first, but then after the seventh new girl arrived, Arthur began to wonder why he had knighted him again.

With all the ruckus and chaos that was filling the hall, it was acceptable that no one noticed when Gauis opened the door. However they did notice when he swung it and it hit Sir Elyan's toe. If knights screeched, then this would be called one, but since they do not, it can not.

"Excuse me..." Gauis stood bewildered at the crowd but wasn't allowed to contemplate long before a cacophony of voices sprang out.

"Is he alright?"

"Gauis, what took so long?"

"Well?"

Gauis cleared his throat and seemed to think over his answer for a couple of seconds, greatly annoying the crowd that surrounded him, "Ah, yes, he will be fine."

Most of the crowd breathed sighs of relief, and then began to meander back to the tasks that they should have been working on. This left Arthur, Sir Lancelot, and Sir Leon.

"Gauis, may I come in to take a look at him?" While he may have been a prat ( according to the idiot) Arthur was a Prince and did have some sense of propriety.

Especially about the person that made medicines for every illness and injury that ever occurred. ( But that is a different story.)

Gauis seemed to try to muffle a smile, and nodded that Arthur could come in, and he left the room to look after the other injuries that had already been treated.

Sir Leon stood up, and dragged Lancelot away with some kind of note on a new training schedule.

Which left Arthur alone to approach the door of his idiotic manservant.


	7. Chapter 7

Merlin had been staring out the window when Arthur hurled the door open, and slammed it shut behind him. This of course caused Merlin to jump, yelping out of surprise.

"Merlin, don't move!" Arthur crossed the room and carefully pushed Merlin back into his bed.

"Fine, I'm fine... I'M FINE ARTHUR!" Merlin, tried to push back against Arthur's hands before allowing himself to be propped up by pillows. "Arthur, really, it wasn't actually that bad, Gauis has stitched me up, there is nothing to worry about."

Arthur seemed to jolt back at these words, and then dragged a chair from the corner to Merlin's bedside.

An awkward silence ensued, with Merlin once again looking out the window, and Arthur seeming to find interest in how some of the floor boards were loose.

"So... how long does Gauis say you need to stay in bed?" Arthur boldly broke the silence.

"Umm... he...uh... said that he would check on it in a... couple more days and then if it was fine I could work again," Merlin rushed to get the last part of the statement out, trying to avoid Arthur's gaze.

Able to see straight through Merlin's lies, Arthur crossed his arms and glared at his manservant " I'm _sure_ it was only a few days right Merlin? With a wound like that it would only take a _couple_ days to heal; aren't you just the little physician."

Merlin was contemplative for a few seconds before replying "Well sire, if you insist, I could wait a little while longer, though I will be fine in a couple of days, but if you really don't want me around..."

"On second thought, can't have you lazing about, you'd best be back to work by the end of the week or I am going to have to talk to Father about your unusual love for mucking out the stables."

"Of course, Prat."

Not deigning Merlin with a response, Arthur began to leave the room, stopping as his foot landed on the threshold.

"If you do that again, I am going to have to find myself a new manservant, and you know how much of a hassle that would be, so if you wouldn't mind, do try to have some sense of self preservation," Arthur was glad that his back was facing Merlin, as he did not want anyone to see whatever expression he had on his face when he said those words.

"Of course, sire," was what he heard from behind him, but it was without the usually tone of annoyance or any kind of sarcasm.

Arthur smiled as he slowly walked to leave and head back to his father, who was most likely more then a bit peeved by Arthur tardiness.

And though he left the room alone, he was certain it wouldn't be that way for long.

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><p>So this is it, this is the end for this one.<br>Thank you very much RubyAB,and cooking-ninja18 for being there since the very beginning. And thank you so much for the reviews!  
>I hope you enjoyed this, and I will be adding new stories very soon<br>Au revoir!


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